Gun-mount for airplanes



1. A. ROCHE.

GUN MOUNT FOR AIRPLANES.

APPLICATION'FILED MAR.l0,19l9.

1,385,755; Patented July 26, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

Inventor Jean A. Roche AZZar J. A. ROCHE.

GUN MOUNT FOR AIRPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-10,1919.

1,885,755, Patented July 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Inventor JeanA.R0che by W Adar ey PATET men s. nouns, orDAYTON, 0310.

Gun-Moons FOR AIRPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26?, 1921.

Application filed March 10, 919. Serial no. 281,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that 'I, JEAN A. ItooHE, a citizen/of the United States,resid1ng at 18 Almirwin Terrace, Dayton,in the countyof Montgomery andState of Ohio, have 1n- -vented certain new and. useful Improvements inGun-Mounts for Airplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an a rplane gun mount of the-fixed type, that1s to say, a mount in which the gun is not movable for aiming purposes,the gun or guns being aimed by steering the airplane ltself at thetarget.

The principal object of the invention'ls to provide a gun mount whichcarries at least one gun and-one sight and wh ch 1s removable in itsentirety from the airplane fuselage. Heretofore it has been customary tofasten the gun to the fuselage and then to fasten a sight along side it,there being no fixed relation between the gun and its sight. In the caseof injury to elther the gun or the sight it was rather a lengthy processto replace the in'ured. element and to read ust the same. owever, byproviding a gun and its cofiperating sight on a readily removableframe,-in case .of injury to either or both parts, the whole unit maybequickly removed, a new one substituted, and the airplane so kept out ofcommission for a minimum length of time. In combat work, two guns arecommonly I carried, fixed with respect to thev fuselage,

and two types of sights also used for these guns, the Aldis or unitsight, and the ring sight. It is a further ob ect of my lnvention toprovide a gun mount in which these two guns and these two sights aremounted thereon, the Whole constituting a unit that is readilyremovablefrom the fuselage.

It is a further object of my invention to provide adjustable mountingmeans for one or more guns, and adjustable mounting means for one ormore sights, whereby the guns' may be lined up substantially parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the fuselage, and whereby the sights may belined up properly in relation to the guns.

Itlis a further object of this invention to provide mounting means foran ammunition .box or boxes, assembled so as to be readily removablewith the already described re movable gun and sight unit.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,Figure l is a perspective view of the fixed gun mount and associated Iparts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame of the gun mountseparate from its associated parts. Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlargedscale, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectiontaken on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same, Fig.6 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of one of the sight mounts,Fig. 7 is a side view of the same.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the frame of the gun mount is composed of atransversely extending, substantially U-shaped front framing element 1,comprising downwardly extending legs 2 and 3. The distance between thelegs 2 and 3 is substantially equal to the width of the fuselage. Thiselement 1 may be a rod or a tube and may be built up of several pieceswelded or brazed together, the

exact details of its manufacture not being of the gist of thisinvention.

The rear framing element of the gun mount comprises a substantiallyU-shaped rod or tube 4. extending transversely of the fuselage, the legsof this framing element being indicated at 5 and 6 said legs beingspaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the width of the fuselage.

These two main framing elements are held in fixed relation to oneanother by the longitudinally extending braces 7 and 8, provided withhorizontal flanges 7 and 8. Legs 2 and 3 may be additionally braced bythe rod or tube 9.

The means for mounting a gun on the front framing element will now bedescribed. Two brackets 10 are mounted on the spacer tube 11, which tubeis provided with flanges 11. The brackets 10 are slipped over the endsof the tube 11 into close contact with the'flanges 11' and are thenbrazed or welded in position. Each of the brackets 10 is provided with arearwardly extending notch 12. Welded on the outside of each of thebrackets 10 is a conical notched lug 13, the notch: of which registerswith the notch. 12. The gun is pivotally mounted in the brackets 10 bymeans of a bolt 14 passing through a suitable aperture in a downwardlyextending lug 15 carried by the gun. The bolt 15 is seated in thenotches 12 and is held in proper position by nuts 16 that engage withthe conicallu s 13. Cotter pins 17 may be used if desired.

Where two guns are used a precisely similar set of brackets 10' andcotiperating parts may be provided.

Diagonal framing elements 18 and 18 may be interposed between one eachof thebrackets 10 and 10', and a collar 19 carried by each of thelongitudinally extending braces 7 and 8.

The mounting for the rear end of the gun with a vertically disposedtransversely extending slot 26. v p

The gun itself indicated by 27 is provided with a downwardly extendingperforated element 28, which is adapted to the position between the lugs21. A mounting bolt 29, engaged in the notches in the lug 13' and inthe-apertures in the' lug 28 serve to mount the rear end of the gun.Vertical adjustment of the gun is had by manipulation of the nuts 23 and24, which engage tightly against the top and bottom of the framingelement 4. During this adj ustment the gun pivots about the bolt 14.'

Lateral adjustment of the gun is had by movement of the threaded shaft22 in the slot 26. When both lateral and verticalad- I justments havebeen made the gun is held rigidly in its final position by the nuts 23and 24. The amount is so designed that the amount of vertical andlateral adjustment required to be made is rather small.

It has not been found necessary to make any particular provision forlateralmove-' ment with respect to the front pair of brackets 10. Theelasticity of the metal of the: brackets readily takes care ofthe slightlateralmovement. Bolt 29 may be held in position by nuts 30 and cotterins 31. I

On Fig. 2 the rear right hand mounting brackets have not been shown, butit should be understood that a pair of these brackets is used incoiiperatio'n with the block 25, shown on the right hand side of thisfigure.

The gun mount also carries mounting means for an Aldis sight, also knownas a. unit sight. The sight is mounted in front and rear brackets 32.and 33, respectively carried by shafts 34 and 35, carried respectivelyby brackets 36' and 37, that in turn are mounted on the framing elements1 and 4, respectively. Shaft 34 may be threaded for vertical ad'ustment.

The rear sig t mounting has means for ammunition left in the boxes atany time may be readily perceived by looking through the chutes 56.

' at 6 0' and 61.

both vertical and lateral adjustment. The standard 37 carries at itsupper end the element 38 rovided with'a slot 39, in which slot 39, s aft35 may move vertically and laterally. The shaft 35 has cut therein avertical slot. 40. A clamping screw 41 threaded as at 42 to engage withthe element 38 is used to clamp the shaft 35 in its final position. Thisclamping screw 41 is provided with a shoulder 43, which is large enoughto extend beyond the edges of the slot 40. It is apparent then, thatwhen the screw 41 is tightened the shoulder 43 will bear against thesides of the slot tohold it in final position.

Referring now to Fig; l'the gunmount'is. mounted in the fuselage, on thetwo upper longrons- 44 and 45, thereof. Flanges 7 and 8' rest on theselongrons and are bolted thereto by-a plurality of bolts 46, here shownas three in number on each "side.

These 'six bolts constitute the entire connection between the gun mountand the fuselage. It is therefore apparent that in case any part of theoutfit is injured, the whole mount, including guns, sights and so' onmay be quickly removed and a new mount substituted, .thereby keeping theairplane out of commission a minimum amount of time;

The gun mount also carries two ammu- ,9 nition boxes 47 and 48, whichare bolted to the legs 2 and 3 of the front framing elementby aplurality of bolts 49. These ammunition boxes may be provided with doors50 and 51 hinged at 52 and 53 and provided with perforations 54, so thatthe amountof giyen through these perforations 54. The cartridges arefed-to the gun throughthe feed chutes 55. The empty shells are ejected-The guns themselves are indicated at 27 alnd 27', of the Browning typebeing s own.

sight 57 and bead sight 58.- The Aldis or unit sightmounted in theclamps 32 and- 33 is indicated at 59. Connections to the synchronizerfiring mechanism are indicated The ready removability of the gun mountand associated parts, as a unit, said .unit comprising adjustable guns,an adjustable sight, and ammunition boxes, is of particu- --laradvantage in military work, because if 1 any part of the unit isinjured,'theairplane is not out-of commission while that unit is beingrepaired, but a new unit may be quickly substituted.

vThe ready adjustability of the guns and 1 sight, after the unit ismounted in place inthe fuselage, makes it an easy matter to line up theguns and sights. -A s good combat pilots check up on the alinement andaccuracy of fire of their guns after every flight, 1

un 27" may carry thereon a ring 1 this feature of ready adjustmentbecomes an important one.

While I have illustrated my invention in considerable detail it shouldbe understoodthat the invention may be carried out in other embodiments,as falling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim 1. An airplane fixed gun mount, comprising a frame adapted toengage with two longrons of the fuselage, a gun holding means carried bysaid frame for holding a gun, adjustable means carried by said frameindependently of the gun holding means for holding a gun sight.

2. In an airplane fixed gun mount, the combination of a frame, a gunmounted on said frame and a sight mounted on said frame independently ofthe gun holding means, all of said parts constituting a unit removablein its entirety from the fuselage.

3. In an airplane fixed gun mount, the combination of a frame, a gunadjustably mounted on said frame and a sight mounted on said frame,independently of the gun, holding means, all of said parts constitutinga unit removable in its entirety from the fuselage.

4. In an airplane fixed gun mount, the combination of a frame, a gunmounted on said frame and a si ht adjustably mounted on said frame independently of the gun holding means, all of said a unit removable in itsfuselage. v

5. In an airplane fixed gun mount, a pair of framing elements extendingtransversely of the fuselage, a second pair of framing elements,connecting said transversely extending framing elements, and gunengaging means carried by each of said transversely extending framingelements. v

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5, in combination with sightengaging means carried by one of said transversely extending elements.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 5, in combination with meansassociated ,with said second air of framing elements for engagement w1ththe fuselage.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 5, said second pair of framingelements being provided with means to engage with the two upper longronsof the fuselage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JEAN A. ROCHE.

parts constituting entirety from the

